Barry vs Ronald
Barry and Ronaldcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1969, Barry was ranked #71 and Ronald #98 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1972, Barry was ranked #100 and Ronald #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Barry was ranked #310 and Ronald #718 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Ronald #796 among boys in England and Wales.
Barry and Ronald over time
Barry and Ronald appear together in 4 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ronald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Barry in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barry and Ronald changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3254 and #796.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Barry and Ronald averaged 5.3 places apart, ending at #100 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Barry and Ronald were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #310 and #718.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Barry #30 in 1952, Ronald #24 in 1952.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1964–2012
Barry held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ronald in 0.
Highest recorded here: Barry #17 in 1985, Ronald #89 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Barry #310, Ronald #718.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Ronald in 21.
Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Ronald #564 in 2018.
The order changed in 2005: Ronald moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #815 and #906; by 2005 that had become #1617 and #788.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Ronald #796.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 1952–1972
Barry held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Ronald in 17.
Highest recorded here: Barry #30 in 1952, Ronald #24 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Barry #100, Ronald #88.
New Zealand · Boys15 shared years, 1954–1969
Barry held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Ronald in 0.
Highest recorded here: Barry #24 in 1955, Ronald #36 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1969: Barry #71, Ronald #98.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Barry | Ronald |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barry and Ronald both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Barry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Ronald
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #202 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1972
Highest recorded position: #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #796 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys